Once you’ve acquired the appropriate saw, blade and safety equipment, it’s time to mark your cuts. Using a piece of chalk or crayon to mark your cutting lines is best. You’ll want to use a guide board and maintain a firm, two-handed grip on the saw as you move it along your chalk line and guide the blade through the material. Let the saw do the work; don’t force it, as this could cause the blade to overheat. For a more detailed guide on safely and efficiently operating concrete saws, check out our how-to article on the United Rentals Project Uptime blog.

Wet cutting keeps the blade cool and puts less stress on the blade. Wet cutting also eliminates dust concerns because the water flow stops dust from becoming airborne. Dry cutting uses specific blades built to handle heat without needing cooling. Dry cutting is best for straight cuts only and produces a lot of dust, so operators will need safety gear to prevent dust inhalation, which can be dangerous. Wet cutting will be the best option if you need to make precise, curved cuts and do not want to deal with dust. For shorter projects where efficiency trumps precision, dry cutting will do.

Concrete street saws are excellent for cutting through concrete, masonry, brick, asphalt, tile and other solid materials.